EU diplomacy chief Kallas urges Israel to halt settlements and proposes new Russia sanctions

European Union diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas has called on Israel to abandon plans to expand settlements in the West Bank, stating that such actions are illegal under international law. The demand follows an Israeli government tender for seven residential complexes totaling 1,234 homes in the E1 zone near East Jerusalem. Kallas warned that these expansions threaten the prospects of a two-state solution by potentially dividing the West Bank and isolating East Jerusalem.

Separately, Kallas announced plans to propose a 22nd package of sanctions against Russia this autumn. The proposed measures aim to target Russia’s ‘ghost fleet’ of tankers used to bypass oil sanctions, with the goal of depriving Moscow of funds used to finance its war in Ukraine. This announcement follows her participation in a meeting of the Ukraine Coalition of Volunteers in Kyiv, where she emphasized the importance of strengthening Ukraine’s air defense and increasing pressure on Moscow.